Hugh’s News – 20 June 2024
We have received the following interesting article from Martyn Jamieson, one of our Honorary Members.
The Shiant Isles Recovery Project
The beautiful and remote Shiant Isles lie about five miles off the east coast of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. The islands are now uninhabited by humans, but are an internationally important breeding site for hundreds of thousands of seabirds – Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots, Black Guillemots, Shags and Kittiwakes.
Unfortunately, invasive non-native black rats had become established on the Shiants, probably by ship-wreck several hundred years ago. Visitors described the islands as being “overrun” with rats, and research found that the rats were feeding on seabird eggs and chicks. It is likely that rat presence in such numbers was preventing other seabird species, such as Storm Petrel and Manx Shearwater, from colonising the islands.
In the autumn of 2014 a four year project, ‘The Shiant Isles Recovery Project’, was set up as a partnership between the Nicolson family (owners), RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage (now NatureScot). An ambitious rat removal operation was undertaken during the winter of 2015/16, and in the following years intensive monitoring was undertaken in order to detect any remaining rats and to assess the impact of rat removal on the seabirds and wider ecosystem of the Shiants.
Since 2016 the islands have been rodent-free, seabird numbers and breeding success have shown a positive response, and Storm Petrels have nested.
In late April this year I was a member of the RSPB team carrying out the spring monitoring, timed to coincide with the return of breeding seabirds. An hour out from Stornoway on a very fast RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) brought us to House Island where we started checking bait stations for signs of rat activity. The bait, blocks of candle wax mixed with chocolate, is examined for any tell-tale nibble marks showing that rats have returned. If even a single block showed teeth marks, a biosecurity alert is triggered and an emergency action plan to eradicate the rat(s) is implemented immediately. Watched and shadowed by the resident pair of White-tailed Eagles low overhead all day, we completed our checks on the three main islands – all clear, thank goodness.
We encountered driving hail squalls on the even higher speed return to Stornoway, I even put my safety glasses on for protection, but the whole trip was a great adventure. Hopefully the birds will have a successful breeding season, and we’ll be back out doing the next checks in autumn.
Read about the Shiants in Adam Nicolson’s book ‘Sea Room: An Island Life’
Boat trips out to the Shiants are available from Tarbert, Isle of Harris.
